


Side effects

by Xira



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Fluff, Footy Ficathon, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-18
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-24 15:51:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3774511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xira/pseuds/Xira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the game against Barcelona, David feels down, thinking he is one of the reasons it all went wrong, and Edinson tries to comfort him. But that defeat may make them realize just how they feel about each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Side effects

**Author's Note:**

> Hi,  
> I wanted to write about this couple for some time now, and then there was a prompt about it on the ficathon and I needed something to feel better after the defeat against Barcelona, so here it is.  
> I hope you will enjoy this story ;)

Going to another club and to another country just after the disaster of the world cup had been a hard time for David. But after a few months spent playing for PSG, it was as though he had always been here, been a part of this team. Or at least it was how he felt.

He had to admit that at first, he had mostly spent time with his teammates from the Brazil national team, but it hadn't taken long for him to become friend with the rest of the team, thanks to his joyous self. 

However, he would be lying if he said that he didn't feel closer to some of his teammates. You just had to see him celebrating a goal or the end of the won game to understand it. There was some of his friends to which he rushed more easily than others, because it just felt more natural for him to show affection towards them.

He was aware of it, but even if he wanted to be fair to all of his teammates, he wasn't able to control who he went first to celebrate with. It was somehow instinctive. But he had never expected that he would end up acting like this towards Edinson Cavani.

Mostly because the clearest memory he had of the man before going to Paris had been the time when they had wanted nothing more than to jump down each other's throat during a game between PSG and Chelsea. And they surely would have done it if Laurent Blanc hadn't been here to stop them. Not the best way to begin a friendship.

But despite all the odds, Edi, as he had soon called him, was now one of the players with who he really liked spending time; and he couldn't imagine the PSG team without him. He had never thought he could go along with someone so well, especially in such a short time. Thiago, as the great friend that he was, liked to tease him about it, telling him not to forget his old friends either. To which David always replied that he was just jealous.

And it would have been easy, if things had just stopped at that, at David being just a little more closer to one of his friends. Except that it definitely wasn't that easy, because being near Edison somehow made him feel weird. 

The good kind of weird, but he didn't know where this came from, and he tried to ignore it, because he didn't want to think about what it could actually imply. He knew that acknowledging his feelings for the other man would bring up more difficulties, and he didn't think he was ready to face them.

He knew that taking Edi in his arms during games was alright, because it was what people expected famous football players to do. Celebrating after they scored a goal was something safe to do. He knew it just as he knew that letting his thoughts wander to the kind of relationship he really wanted to have with the striker was surely a bad idea and would only hurt him, because he wasn't expecting the other man to reciprocate his feelings. Being his close friend was already enough, he couldn't ask for more.

Or at least it was what he managed to tell himself when things were alright, when he was joking with the team in the locker room, or when they just won a game, or when he would spend hours playing video game with his friends. 

But right now things weren't alright, or the contrary it felt as if everything had just fallen apart, because they had just lots 3 to 1 to Barcelona in Champions, and all he craved was to wrap his arms around Edi, even though he didn't know if he wanted to do it to reassure the other man or to reassure himself.

The minute the game ended, he already imagined what was going to happen, how all the newspapers were going to look for a responsible for their defeat, and he really didn't want to have to face this. 

He had tried to recover as quickly as possible from his injury to be there today, but now he began wondering if he shouldn't have just stayed at home. Maybe he just made everything worse, being a burden for his team. He couldn't get out of his head that Suarez wouldn't have been able to score those two last goals if he had played better.

Usually, when they lost a game, he always tried to cheer up his teammates, to make things look a little less worse than they were, but today he knew he just wouldn't be able to do it. He didn't have enough strength for it. All he wanted was to go back to his apartment, hide under the covers of his bed and act as if today's events never took place. 

Or maybe he was trying to convince himself that it was what he needed because he knew that hugging Edi out of despair in the locker room wouldn't be a good idea. He knew there was a difference between being somehow flirty with him during training, the two of them giggling together almost of the time, and doing this in such a dreadful moment.

So he took his shower as quickly as possible, the warm water not enough to make his tense muscles relax. He dressed up at the same speed, obviously failing at covering just how depressed he was after their defeat.

-You're sure you're alright? I mean, as alright as we can be tonight. Maybe you shouldn't stay alone, we could always spend the night depressing with other members of the team. Thiago said before David left, trying to joke a little, even if he knew nothing would really comfort his friend right now.

David was his best friend, and he didn't want to leave him alone, knowing that he would surely spend the evening drowning in self pity if he let him do so. And he also knew that if David wasn't trying to make the others feel better, then something was definitely wrong. 

After all, he had done so for the younger members of the Brazil NT after their terrible losses against Germany and Netherlands in the world, and god knew just how shaken David had been back then.

-Thank you, but I think I'm big enough to take care of myself, you know. Don't worry, it'll be alright for me. You'd better try to help the rest of the team, captain, I don't think I have it in me to do it tonight. And make sure your injury don't get worse. David sighed, knowing that letting this responsibility on his shoulders wasn't really kind of him, especially since Thiago had been hurt during that game, but he was afraid he would make things worse than before, exactly like he did in the game. Yes, going to his home and try to be ready for training the next day was his best option.

-Okay, see you at training then. Try to get some rest, don't forget that not too long ago you were injured too. Thiago replied, knowing that arguing with David right now would lead nowhere and would only make the younger man close up like an oyster, which he of course wanted to avoid. 

So he let David leave, knowing quite well that nothing he would say right now would have an impact on his friend. It didn't mean he wasn't going to do anything to help him though. If he couldn't help David, then he would just need to ask help from the only person who still could.

  

And it was how, sometimes after David had gotten back home, he heard someone knocking at his door. He wondered who could be bothering him so late in the evening, and he envisaged not opening the door, except that the person at the other side didn't seem ready to give up any time soon, and he didn't want to have trouble with his neighbors because of the noise.

So he opened, and almost froze when he saw who was in front of him. Of course, he should have expected that it was someone from his team, coming to check on him. However, he didn't imagine he would end up face to face with Edinson.

-Edi? What are you doing here? Oh, you can come in, sorry, I don't want to be rude, I just wasn't expecting you. In fact, I wasn't expecting anyone this late, obviously. He mumbled, hoping he wasn't sounding as stupid as he felt, making way so that Edinson could enter.

-Sorry, I should have called before coming here. It's just that Thiago came to see me, telling me that you didn't seem to be alright, which is comprehensible, seeing how that game went, but that you didn't want to talk with him. He seemed to think I could so something about it. But I don't want to bother you. I jut thought that, you know, maybe you wouldn't like to be alone. And to be honest, Thiago also asked me to keep you away from the computer, so you wouldn't read all the crap the medias are going to write about us. The Uruguayan player explained, but at the same moment he noticed David's open computer on a table in the main room.

-Looks like he remembers quite well how I was acting after the world cup. I'm sorry, but you came a little too late for keeping me from doing that. He said, but a small smile still appeared on his face. He couldn't explain it, but just being near Edinson made him feel better already.

-So which kind of dumb idea will I have to get out of that head of yours, then? He asked David, which surprised David. He had thought Edi would have wanted to avoid everything related to that game.

-Oh, the usual ones, I guess. That Paris paid too much for me, that I'm the worst defender on earth and that I'm the main reason why we lost against Barcelona because I couldn't keep Suarez from scoring. Oh, and I also found a poll somewhere asking which player from PSG had played the better during tonight, and my name was not even on the list of answers. That's how bad it is. Right now I wish I never decided to try to learn French. It would have spared me most of that. He sighed, dropping down on his sofa, hiding his face in his hands. 

-Oh, because you're really able to understand so much in French? I didn't know. Edinson teased him, sounding falsely surprised, as he had actually helped him learning it, and the Brazilian punched his friend lightly in the arm.

Edinson had done it because not so long ago, it had been him who was not able to mutter a single word in French, and his teammates had helped him with it back then. So he had thought it was only normal for him to help David now. 

Not to talk about the fact that it had allowed him to spend more time with the Brazilian player. The first times David had tried, for example, to order something in French had been pretty funny, and just speaking about how David had begun to learn French brought back good memories to both of them. 

-Shut up, I'm sure that now I'm even better than you. He replied.

-Oh, vraiment? Edinson asked him, voluntarily switching to French to see how his friend would react, laughing quietly at how David was furrowing his brow lightly, looking for his words. 

\- Bien sûr. He replied, and Edinson couldn't help but find David's accent utterly adorable. For a few seconds, he wondered if David thought the same about him, since he was often still struggling to get the pronunciation of some words right. But he quickly chased this thought away, deciding to act as if it had never crossed his mind.

-Well, it does look like you learned something. He said, happy that he had been able to distract his friend a little from the game that they had just lost.

He sat down on the sofa next to him, and getting close to David made him realize just how miserable and tired his friend really seemed to be. The Brazilian was looking down, surely thinking about all the events of the game, how he could have changed the final outcome. Edinson knew it because if he didn't have to comfort David, he would surely be acting the same way.

-It was just a game, okay? So don't look like if it was the end of the world. He assured him, putting a reassuring hand on David's shoulder, unaware of the electric shock it sent through David's body, and how it made the other man's desire to lean into him even stronger than before.

-I know, but it just feels so unfair. I did everything I could to be there today so I could help you, the weather is finally warming up so I should be happy, but everything had to go wrong again. I feel like I should just crawl into my bed and never get out again. He let out.

-And me who thought you were used to the bad weather, since you lived in London and all. The other man teased him again, making him raise an eyebrow.

-Really? I tell you I feel bad, and you, all you find to say is some bad joke about the English weather? I hope you don't really expect to cheer me up like that. David answered.

-That's what you say, but I've got the feeling it's actually working. He retorted, and as an answer, David stick out his tongue at him. He smiled, knowing that this kind of behavior was typical of David, and meant that he wasn't in such a bad mood than when Edinson had arrived.

-Well, it's not my fault if it's hard to stay sad when you're here. I swear you must be some kind of anti-depressant, just without the side effects. David joked, just as he tried to convince himself that having his heart beating way quicker than before and sweating hands had nothing to do with Edi and couldn't be seen as said side effects.

-Well, if you're feeling better, I guess my work is done then. I'd better let you have some sleep, it's already late. Edison said, getting up, but before he could do it, David grabbed his wrist.

-Wait! He exclaimed, keeping him from leaving, confusing his friend. Edinson was going to ask David why he was acting like that, but the Brazilian didn't let him enough time to do it.

-It's not that I want to bother you or anything, it's just that you're right, it's already late, and if you want you can stay here for the night. Only if you want to, of course. I just don't want you to have an accident just because you came to help me. He explained, but keeping silent that even if it was one of the reason why he didn't want Edi to go, another one was that he also didn't want the Uruguayan to leave him alone.

-David? Edinson said softly, making his friend wonder what he was going to tell him, and David raised his eyes, meeting the stare of the other man.

-Would you like me to stay? Edi asked him, leaving David speechless for a moment, trying to find a way to get out of this by finding another good excuse, or...

-Yes.

The word had left his lips before he could even think about it, and the minute he realized what he had just said, he let go of Edinson's arm, hoping he could just disappear into the ground. As if his day wasn't already screwed enough...

-You just had to say it then. It's not that big of a deal, isn't it? Edinson asked him, smiling gently, making David want to hit himself for being so worried about his own answer. Of course Edi thought he just didn't feel well enough to spend the evening on his own, and would never imagine that if it had been anyone else than him, David wouldn't have insisted so much to make him stay. 

-Thank you, I'm sorry I'm bothering you though, I must sound like a five years old child afraid to have a nightmare. He sighed, looking down, knowing that despite how stupid it could sound, it wouldn't be that surprising either. After all, he had had many after the world cup.

-Don't be that hard on yourself, we all felt bad after what happened. And to be honest, I'm glad I don't have to be alone at home either. Edinson admitted.

David immediately wrapped a comforting arm's around his teammate shoulder. He knew Edinson had divorced from his wife before David arrived at PSG, and he couldn't imagine how hard it had to be to get to a lonely house after a defeat when you had been used to having your family around you to support you.

-Well, I guess it does feel better not to be crying alone. Although we should get some sleep if we don't want the coach to kill us tomorrow during training. He tried to joke, because it was how he usually dealt with complicated situations like this one. By making fun of everything to forget how bad he felt.

-You're right on that one, we must be prepared for the return game. It's definitely more important than complaining about what other people write about us, you know. Edi teased him gently, and this time David couldn't resist the temptation to grab a pillow and hit him with it. 

-Shut up or I'll look for what they're saying about you, and then I'm sure you won't be acting in the same way! David replied, grinning, the weight of the defeat still somewhere deep in his mind, but covered by how good he felt when he was near Edinson.

-Hey, that's mean! His friend retorted. 

-Well, you were mean to me first! David replied, trying to sulk, but he ended up laughing instead- well, it was what he almost always ended up doing when the other man was involved. He always seemed to know what to say or do to make David feel better.

-I don't know about you, but I'm feeling too sleepy to keep a conversation for long, at least one that has any sense. We'd better go to sleep or I fear we won't be able to wake up tomorrow. The other man told him, yawning as he said that.

-Okay, you can take my bed if you want, I'll stay on the sofa. David offered, not showing the other man where his bedroom was, because Edinson had already come to his flat with some of their teammates, most of the time to play video games, and so he knew his home, just like David knew what Edi's home was like.

-And let you here alone so you can spend more time on the internet reading articles saying bad things about you? Who do you take me for? If it is to let you alone, I can just as well go back to my own apartment. I'm sure we can fit together in your bed. Come on, I'm sure you really don't want to be alone. Edinson objected, but he wasn't prepared for the way David reacted to his proposition.

-N-No, it's better if I stay on the sofa, I swear. He stammered, trying hard to restrain the sudden blush coming to his cheeks and not to look at Edinson. He took his pillow, and began to instal himself on the couch, avoiding his friend's stare.

He knew that Edinson surely wouldn't understand his reaction, but he couldn't take the risk to sleep next to his him. Knowing himself, he would surely end up cuddling with Edi while being asleep or something like that, or be stupid enough to admit his feelings to him, and he definitely wasn't ready to face rejection. Not tonight. 

-David's what wrong? His teammate asked, not understanding why David didn't want to talk to him, since something was obviously troubling him. David was quite an open person, and Edinson couldn't recall him trying to hide anything from him.

-I'm sorry, it's just...I can't okay? David said, hiding his face in his pillow, trying hard to retain tears he felt coming. He didn't want to fight with Edi, not ever and especially not today, because of something as stupid as these damn feelings for the other man he just couldn't contain.

But instead of being mad at him, like David would have expected him to be, Edinson sat on the sofa near him, even if he barely didn't have any place, and put a hand on the other man's back, rubbing gently, trying to understand why exactly David had suddenly withdrawn on himself.

-I'm sorry I upset you, I only wanted to help you. He said, worry in his voice, and David told himself that he definitely didn't deserve to have such a good friend.

He decided to get out of his pillow, because he knew acting like that surely wouldn't solve any problem, although he couldn't find enough strength to look at Edinson and decided to stare at the floor instead. At least until the other man grabbed his chin, making their eyes meet.

-Please just tell me what the hell I have done, or else I'll just spend the whole night thinking about this. Edinson urged him, but all he managed to get out of David was:

-If I tell you, you'll leave and you'll never want to talk with me again.

Anyway, these words were enough for Edinson to suddenly understand what was going on. To be honest, he wouldn't have thought of it if he hadn't remembered what Thiago had said to him to convince him to come here in the first place. 

“I know I shouldn't ask you that, but could you please check out on David? I'm sure he's been quite shaken by this game, and I know him, he'll surely spend the evening convincing himself that everything is his fault. He didn't even want to talk to me. You're the only one who can talk to him, I mean, you two are so close you almost look like lovers. So please check on him for me” had been his words, and suddenly, what he had taken as a joke back then sounded a lot more like a hint when combined with David's behavior towards him. He couldn't ignore that Thiago was David's best friend, and that he knew him quite well.

-I think you won't have to tell me. He replied, praying with all his heart that he wasn't interpreting everything wrong, and he leaned over David, until their lips met, his simply brushing over David's in case the Brazilian wanted to push him away. He didn't want to scare him. 

David's eyes grew wide in shock, myriads of questions rushing through his mind, like how Edinson had understood how he felt, or if he wasn't just dreaming and was about to wake up. But after realizing that all this was really happening, he decided to worry about it later and to answer eagerly to the kiss, wrapping his arms around Edi's shoulders and pulling him closer. The last thing he wanted was to let Edinson believe that he didn't share his feelings.

They had no idea of how long they had been kissing, but when they parted, their lips were sore, not that it kept them from smiling happily, hugging each other. David couldn't stop himself from smiling even more, remembering that it was exactly what he had dreamed of at the end of the game against Barcelona.

-Is it okay for us to share the same bed now, or do I have to do a long love declaration? Edinson said, cupping David's cheek with his hand. And while he had adopted a joking, almost flirty tone, something told David that he would really do it if he asked him to.

-It's more than okay. You can keep the love declaration for when we'll both be more awake, because I think I'm going to fall asleep on this sofa if we don't go to bed soon enough. He answered, leaving another kiss on Edi's soft lips before getting up, taking his hand in his and leading him to his bedroom.

They didn't bother taking off their clothes, which were clean anyway since they had changed just after the game. David was secretly pleased by it, because he loved how good Edinson looked in casual clothes. Not that he didn't look good when he was wearing a jersey, but the white shirt and black trousers he was wearing at the moment just added something to his natural charm.

David didn't hesitate to cuddle with him right away, letting his head rest on Edi's chest, closing his eyes and sighing happily when Edinson began to caress his wild hair gently. As David was about to drift into sleep, Edinson whispered, but still loud enough for him to hear:

-Je t'aime.

David opened one sleepy eye, staring at him lovingly, before replying:

-Moi aussi.

And then, a smirk appeared on his face, as he added:

-See, I told you I was getting better at French.

-And can I know how you learned this kind of thing? Because I think I might get jealous. Edinson say, although the look in his eyes showed David that he was only messing with him.

-You don't have to be, it's just that the other day, my TV got stuck on some soap opera, but I had told myself I needed to learn some french, so I watched it anyway. David laughed, closing his eyes again as Edinson wrapped his arm around his waist.

-Good night. The other man whispered to him, and it was the last thing David heard before finally falling asleep. 

  

The next morning, when David went to training, all the events from the game against Barcelona suddenly felt less terrible, since he knew he wouldn't be alone anymore to face the outcome. Now, he was even convinced that if they played well, they could manage to win the return game.

-David, can I talk to you? 

He turned away to face the person who had talked to him. He smiled at Maxwell- he felt like smiling at the whole world today- and answered:

-Of course, what do you want? 

-Well, you see, it's good that you're trying to cheer up the team by looking happy and everything after yesterday game and everything, but I think you're over doing it a bit too much. I mean, you almost look like you're happy we lost against Barcelona. His friend explained.

David immediately tried to restrain his smile, not wanting his teammates to believe something like that. But it was hard, knowing just how happy he was deep down.

-Of course, thank you for telling me, I didn't realize. He replied, but Maxwell soon lost his attention as Edinson arrived at training.

He and David had agreed on not coming together so that their new relationship wouldn't be too obvious. So David fought against himself not to rush to his lover, forcing himself to stay in place. Or at least he tried to do so, because two seconds later, he was by Edinson's side, greeting him. That's when Maxwell noticed that Edinson was smiling just as much as David, which couldn't be a coincidence. Not after a harsh defeat, at least.

-Well, I think I don't have to wonder anymore why you look so happy today. Maxwell said to David before going back to training, leaving his two teammates blushing slightly and wondering if they really were that obvious, despite having tried hard not to be.

-Well, I think that since not coming together was useless anyway, we'll just have to come to training together now. Edinson said, wanting to make the best of their current situation. 

David nodded, smiling again- there definitely was no way he could stop now-, hugging the Uruguayan, because now he could, even if he still tried to make it look friendly. Not that they were going to fool anyone in their team, if the look the others were giving them was to be believed.

  

Maxwell stopped near Thiago, needing to talk about him about what he had just discovered about David and Edinson. He was sure that his friend had played a part in this, because the last time he had seen David and Edinson after their last game, they had been talking with him.

-Did you see what's happening between David and Edi? He asked him.

-Well, I think you'd have to be blind not to see it. And David's my best friend, so it's only normal that I noticed it. He answered.

-And of course, you don't have anything to do with this? Maxwell retorted ironically. What did you tell them yesterday?

-Oh, David seemed to feel really bad after yesterday game, so maybe I told Edi to check on him at his home, while somehow implying that they would make a great couple? Thiago explained, doing his best to look innocent.

He saw Maxwell's disapproving look, and so he added:

-Come on, if I had done nothing about it, they would have ended up kissing each other on the field in front of the cameras, and then it would have been way more complicated, and you know it.

Maxwell sighed, but yet couldn't say that his friend was wrong about it. Now they just had to hope David and Edinson would not be too distracted during the training, or that other members of the team wouldn't take example on Thiago and try to play matchmakers.

But David and Edinson were far from this kind of worries, fooling around like they were used to, trying to grab hands as often as they could. Now they weren't afraid of the important games to come, as they would be together to face them.

**Author's Note:**

> Just in case, here's the translation of the few words in French:
> 
> Oh, vraiment?-Oh, really?  
> Bien sûr-Of course  
> Je t'aime-I love you  
> Moi aussi-Me too
> 
> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
